The present invention relates to a probe cover attached to an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic image display apparatus.
An ultrasonic image display apparatus displays an ultrasonic image based upon an echo signal obtained by performing ultrasonic scan to a subject. In the ultrasonic image display apparatus described above, the ultrasonic scan is performed by use of an ultrasonic probe connected to a body of the apparatus through a probe cable.
In an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that displays an ultrasonic image such as a B-mode image to makes a diagnosis, a freezing operation of the ultrasonic image or a recording operation of the ultrasonic image is sometimes performed during the scan. In this case, an operator holds the ultrasonic probe with his/her one hand, and with this state, he/she operates an operation unit on the apparatus body with his/her other hand. However, there may be a case where the operation unit is difficult to operate with his/her other hand. In view of this, JP-A No. 2002-301075 describes an ultrasonic probe provided with a switch. The operator can depress the switch with the hand holding the ultrasonic probe, thereby being capable of operating the ultrasonic probe.
The hand holding the ultrasonic probe may be changed depending upon a region to be examined and an examination purpose. The position of the switch for which the operator can easily depress the switch is different between the case in which the operator holds the ultrasonic probe with his/her right hand and the case in which the operator holds the ultrasonic probe with his/her left hand. Therefore, an ultrasonic probe is considered that has switches on both a position for easy operation when he/she holds the probe with his/her right hand, and a position for easy operation when he/she holds the probe with his/her left hand. However, when the switches are provided on the positions described above, the switch that is not used by the hand holding the ultrasonic probe might involuntarily be depressed. Therefore, it has been demanded that the ultrasonic probe has switches on better positions for a right hand and left hand, and involuntary depression of the switches can be prevented.